


Abducted, Possessed or In Love

by Imgonnabeyourbubblegumwitch



Series: 3 Days Timeline [5]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, He tries to hide it, He's not that sucessful, I totally forgot to tag this, Leo is overdramatic, M/M, Nico likes Will a lot, Nico's friends react to his crush on will, Plus actual relationship at the end, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-30 23:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12119691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imgonnabeyourbubblegumwitch/pseuds/Imgonnabeyourbubblegumwitch
Summary: Nico is acting really different and Leo is slightly convinced that Nico has been abducted by aliens. Jason has a different theory. After all Nico is only different around a certain blonde-haired medic.





	Abducted, Possessed or In Love

**Author's Note:**

> Crosses over with We Tried to Tell You, but can be read alone just fine :)

“I think something is wrong with Nico,” Leo said.

The effect of his words was instantaneous. Jason put down his toast and reached for his sword.  Piper continued buttering her bread, outwardly unmoved, but her hold on the knife suddenly looked a lot more threatening.

"What do you mean?" Jason asked. "Is he alright? Has someone said something to him because if they have-"

"Whoa chill man. That's actually kind of the opposite of the problem."

Jason glanced down at his sword as though he'd only just realised he was holding it, and put it back down with deliberate care.

"Leo it's too early for this. What exactly is going on?"

"I think Nico might have been kidnapped by aliens and replaced by an exact double."

Jason blinked at him. Piper let go of the butter knife and took a bite of bread.

"Well?" Leo asked.

" _Well_ what Leo?"

"You don't look overwhelmed by my news."

"Because," Jason said wearily, going back to his breakfast. "You are being ridiculous."

"Well okay maybe the alien thing is a little farfetched. Do you think they could get into camp with the defences? Maybe only half-blood aliens-"

"Leo!"

"Demons then. Maybe he was wandering around a hell-scape somewhere and got possessed."

"Somehow I think that might actually be more farfetched," Jason said. "And why exactly do you think this run of incredibly unlikely things might have happened to Nico?"

"Because he just wished me good morning."

"Says something that you think a demon would be more cheerful than Nico," Piper commented.

"Hey I like the kid I’m just saying he’s gloomy. At least he used to be. It's an invasion of the body snatchers I'm telling you!"

"Isn't that the opposite of what happened in the invasion?" Piper asked, yawning. "It's if he gets more emotionless _then_ we have to worry."

Jason gave her a look and she shrugged and smiled.

"I'm kidding. But seriously Leo, he's probably just in a good mood."

"Okay," Leo said pointing a stick of pineapple at her "But riddle me this: when was the last time Di Angelo was in a good mood?"

"Just because he's not often happy doesn't mean he can't- " Jason began wearily but Leo intercepted him.

"No man, I mean what do you think has made him cheerful?"

"Oh."

Jason seemed to think about this.

"Well maybe just being around camp has made him realise -" he trailed off. "Huh."

"Aliens," Leo whispered knowledgeably with a nod.

"It's not aliens Leo, wait where are you going? Leo!"

"Do you ever feel like your talking to yourself?" Jason asked as his calls fell on deaf ears.

"Well if Nico sends him to a shadow realm for bugging him at least you can say you tried," Piper said.

 

* * *

 "Has anyone seen Nico?" Jason asked.

"Maybe he's -"

"He's not hiding out in his secret alien spaceship or whatever it is you were going to say."

Leo grinned but held up his hands in surrender. 

"Have you lost him?" Piper asked. She was cleaning her knife while the rest of the Aphrodite cabin rallied behind her ready for a day of fun and adventure and the lava climbing wall. Jason could dimly hear Drew complaining about her nails.

"Not really," Jason said. "It's just Nico usually hangs out with me for activities."

Piper shrugged. "Sorry. He'll turn up though."

Jason nodded but he couldn't help feel a little concerned. He'd thought - he'd _hoped_ \- Nico was over the feelings that he didn't belong. After his stay in the infirmary he'd certainly seemed a little more settled and since then had begun settling into camp activities he’d fallen in with the rest of camp, even hanging out with Percy at times which Jason knew must have taken a lot of courage. But with Nico’s absence he began to worry all the same.

"Percy have you seen Nico?" he asked.  

Percy, tying his amour as he walked over, gave Jason a slightly mischievous smile.

"He's moved on," Percy said.

"What?"

"Trust me," Percy said. "He's fine."

Jason gave him an odd look. Percy's grin got bigger and he nodded over to where the Apollo cabin were coming down. Nico was in the middle of them, talking to Will animatedly.

"He looks happy!" Jason said before he could help himself. 

"Now look who's comparing Nico to a gloomy demonic -" Leo said with a grin.

"I never said demonic."

Will laughed at something Nico said, and Nico looked momentarily stunned before blushing furiously. Percy raised an eyebrow, Piper gave a knowing smirk and Leo's jaw dropped so low Jason was slightly concerned it was going to unhinge and drop off.

"I see what you mean," Piper commented.

Nico went to snatch something from Will's hands, giggling as Will it pulled back and out of the way at the last minute.

"I just meant he wasn't going to come do archery with us!" Percy said stumbling over his words in his shock. "Be he just -"

"What you've never seen Di Angelo smile before?" asked Piper with a slight smirk. Jason got the feeling she was enjoying this somehow.

"Not for a very long time," Percy said quietly. His eyes had clouded over slightly as he watched Nico and eventually he shrugged and moved away.

"You coming Jason? Without Nico around I need you to make me feel better about my archery skills."

"Hilarious Jackson."

But he followed. Percy was right: it looked like Nico was okay after all.

 

* * *

Percy hadn't quite been able to shake Tartarus. He supposed that was only natural, and he knew it would take time to forget, but every time he thought he was nearing a place where it wouldn't pervade his dream space quite so much it came back to haunt him. Normally when the nightmares hit he would seek out Annabeth but she had an important test, something about entrance into one of New Rome's top colleges and he didn't want to disturb her rest. Instead he wandered up to the dining pavilion, watching the sun as it began to climb above the horizon. He wondered, absently, where Apollo was and what his punishment had been. He knew Rachel was still cut off from prophecies. It didn't seem to bode well for the god.  

When he reached the pavilion, he saw Nico sitting on the Hades table, swinging his legs and gazing absently at the horizon. He was eating which was the first surprise. The second was that, despite it being horrendously early Nico, who would be the first to describe himself as not a morning person, looked reasonably content.

Percy hadn't been alone with Nico since Nico had confessed, and he wasn't sure what he should say. He wanted to apologise for being such an idiot but that would mean bringing up Nico's crush and he wasn't sure Nico would want that.

Nico glanced over at him, but didn't say anything as Percy sat down.

"I don't know how you did it," Percy said finally. "Tartarus I mean."

"I don't know why you think I want to talk about this," Nico said but there was less antagonism about him than usual so Percy took that as a good sign.

"The dreams don't ever really go away," Nico said suddenly, glancing over at Percy. "But they get better."

Percy smiled at him surprised, but Nico was no longer paying any attention to Percy. He was distracted by another early riser who was coming up from the direction of the cabins. Will.

"You're eating then?" Will asked, as soon as he was close enough. He pulled his earphones out and shoved them into a pocket. Nico folded his arms.

"You highlighted the importance of a balanced diet," Nico said with a very straight face. "Besides an apple a day keeps the doctor away and I refuse to spend any more time in the infirmary with you. The first time was bad enough."

Nico words were normal enough but the way he was looking at Will, like Will was his personal sunshine, didn't quite match the grumpy tone.

Will just smirked.

"Anything to get you to eat properly," he said and wandered off to get juice.

Percy watched Nico watching him go. The look in Nico's eyes was surprisingly soft.

 

* * *

 "I'm just saying," Leo said ignoring the way Jason and Percy groaned and Piper threw a bread roll at him.

"I thought you were over the alien thing?" Jason asked.

"I am. You know, mostly. I'm not ruling everything out. But you've got to admit Di Angelo is like a completely different person these days. He's gone soft."

"I don't know-" Jason began but stopped abruptly as Nico himself stalked over with a bad case of bed-head, a moody expression and skeletal hands threatening to break the surface of the earth in his wake. Leo happened to be between Nico and the coffee.

"Get out my way Leo," Nico mumbled, "or I will let these zombies drag you into hell."

Leo wasn't entirely convinced Nico would carry out that threat but he moved aside sharpish anyway. Instead of pouring himself a mug, he just took the whole pot.

"I'm going back to bed. And I swear if anyone wakes me -" he didn't finish off the threat because he was too busy yawning but somehow that was scarier.

"Sure Leo," Jason said as Nico wandered away. "He definitely seems different to me. Gone totally soft. We'll have to work on that."

 

* * *

 "Are you humming Mulan?"

Nico looked up, startled.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Shut up Grace."

"I'm surprised you even know Mulan," Jason commented.

Nico stopped cleaning his sword to glare at Jason.

"Will made me watch it," he admitted.

"Will?"

"Will."

Nico picked up the cloth again.

"He really likes Disney. I mean they all do, but Will does not stop. And musicals. Did you know there were so many musicals? And I swear to the gods Solace knows the words to like every single one of them. And he's not a bad singer. Did you know that? He makes out like he's not talented but you shouldn't listen to a word because - what?"

"I didn't say anything."

Nico glared at him suspiciously.

"I'm going back to my cabin," he said.

 

* * *

"They're dating."

"They're not."

"They so are."

"They're not."

"I'm starting a betting pool," Cecil said. He'd been walking past but he'd obviously caught wind of the conversation and had insinuated himself in. "If you want to put your money where your mouth is."

There was a pause. Leo and Jason looked at each other.

"Betting on our friend's happiness seems wrong."

"It does feel a little exploitative."

"Ten dollars that they are dating."

"Twenty that they're not."

* * *

Jason had gotten used to Nico turning up at his table at breakfast. He was used to Nico's grumpiness and general animosity towards the world in general and anyone who tried to talk to him in particular. He wasn't used to Nico laughing.

He hadn't seen the light in Nico's eyes before either. Or that quiet, shy smile.

But then Will Solace didn't usually sit with them. Jason was beginning to think there was something in Leo's insistence that Will and Nico were secretly dating. At least Leo had moved on from the alien theory, but he was slightly worried at the lengths Leo was apparently prepared to go to to prove he was right. In fact half the camp seemed to be taking sides of the debate thanks to Cecil's dating pool. Jason wasn't sure where he stood, or whether he quite condoned the others dropping Will into the conversation at every opportunity just to test Nico's reaction, but he did know he was happy to see Nico so happy. The kid definitely had it coming.

He just hoped that the rest of camp's obsession with his relationship wouldn't distract from that. Or take away the light in Nico's eyes whenever he spoke about Will.

 

* * *

 "If you're going to be that dopey about getting the flag, then we've got this one in the bag."

Jason shook himself out of his thoughts and found Nico standing in front of him.

"I'm fine," Jason said, standing and trying not to pretend like he hadn't just been worrying about his friend. "More than ready to beat you."

Nico just smirked.

"We'll see about that," he said and walked off.

And since when had Nico stopped siding with them in favour of Will?

Jason shook his head again and forced his mind to empty. Nico could look after himself, and would only get frustrated at Jason worrying about his welfare and love life. Besides Nico was right, if he kept on this distracted path he really would be handing the victory over to them. And then Percy would never forgive him.

When the game began he watched as his friends split off, following the paths and roles determined for them by Annabeth and her siblings. Annabeth was reasonably confident about where Ares and their allies would be stashing their flag. She'd marked Jason out to find it, sending a deployment consisting of herself, Percy and several other obvious heavy hitters to distract the main forces. It was a good plan and the only thing Jason was slightly worried about was running into Nico, who Annabeth admitted was hard to plan for since he was so unpredictable.

He crept through the woods, dodging behind trees whenever he thought he heard campers coming his way. Eventually he spotted a flash of red through the trees and made towards it, counting every breath and placing each step with meticulous care.

He emerged from the clearing, spotting Nico hanging out by the flag.  That wasn't ideal, but Will was with him and Nico for the moment looked was enough not to notice Jason so close. As long as the two kept talking instead of paying attention to what was going on around them -

He stopped dead as Nico suddenly stood up on tiptoes and kissed Will.

"Oh my gods!" he cried out before clapping his hand over his mouth.

Nico glanced over at him and took half a step back from Will, glancing up at the sky like he was praying with strength. Will just started laughing.

 

* * *

 Jason chucked twenty dollars at Leo.

"Told you they were dating."

"Well it wasn't aliens," Jason said, a little moodily.

Leo just grinned.

"I still haven't ruled that out. I mean Death Boy and Sunshine? They aren't the world's most likely couple."

"I don't know," Jason said, looking over at Nico. He was supposedly listening to Connor, but was really watching Will reading on the step to the Apollo cabin with a distracted smile. "I think they work."


End file.
